John Frederick Lewis, R.A.

Possibly, the artist’s estate
Sale: Christie’s, London, 24 May 1909, lot 135, as ‘Interior of the Mosque of Sultan Achmet’ (with ‘A Camel, West Thebes’, also formerly in the Lewis family collection), bought ‘May’; thence by descent within the artist's family

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Laing Art Gallery, John Frederick Lewis, R.A., 1971, no. 46

Major-General Michael Lewis, C.B.E., John Frederick Lewis, R.A., 1805-1876, 1978, p. 81, no. 382

The colours are fresh and the pencil clear in this rare work. There is an extremely faint mount line towards the edges of the sheet, however this can only be seen on very close inspection. The sheet is not laid down. The overall impression is that the work is in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

On 22 November 1840, Lewis joined the party of Lady Londonderry to visit Haghia Sophia, Topkapı Sarayı and some of the great imperial mosques of Constantinople. Westerners were not allowed to enter these mosques without a firman (an official permit), which was granted only to a few visitors, usually those with status, such as Frances Anne, wife of Charles Vane, 3^rd Marquess of Londonderry, who was accompanying her husband on a journey through the courts of Europe. In her published Narrative, Lady Londonderry notes Lewis’s powers of observation, so strikingly evinced in the drawings that he made. While several of Lewis’s remarkable views of the interior of Haghia Sophia have survived, this magnificent drawing is the only known one by him of the Sultanahmet Camii.  He has taken an unusual view from the north-west corner of the mosque, looking towards the doorway on the south-west; left of centre is one of the four colossal, free-standing, fluted columns that support the great dome and to right the upper mahfil, or balcony, supported by black and white arches.  By choosing not to highlight the blue Iznik tiles in which the entire lower part of the walls is clad, and which give the mosque its popular name, Lewis achieves a much greater sense of the vast interior space.  Small figures seated near the western doorway, emphasise both the mosque’s immense size and its function as a place of worship and contemplation. His delicately rendered pencil framework is given substance by the judicious use of white highlights and touches of colour, filling the scene with light and atmosphere. We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help in cataloguing this work.